Road to Recovery

At home I quickly realized I wasn't just going to jump back into my old routine.  I tried showering the first night at home, and I didn't have a shower chair yet.  I couldn't lift my arms enough to wash my own hair, or wash my whole body.  I looked at myself and saw tons of bruises all over due to all the needle pokes.  I got out of the shower and couldn't breathe.  I called to the living room for help, naked.  This was embarrassing

for me.  Bud came to the rescue and helped get me dressed.  I honestly can't believe how I got so lucky with him.  He is the most amazing man ever.  He spent nearly every day at the hospital with me, fed me, and now is dressing me.  Wow!  We decided before I left the hospital that I would sleep the night at our house, then go to my parents house during the day because they didn't want me to be home alone yet, and we quickly realized why.  

On the 2nd or 3rd day home (at mom and dad's) I fell....several times...even with the walker.  It was horrible.  I had no strength at all.  Cognitively I wasn't all there either.  I took a very long time to speak and think of what I was trying to say, and I spoke very slow.  We tried playing cards at mom and dads (something we do on a regular basis) and I couldn't remember how to play or even hold my cards.  I went to see my doctor for a follow-up and he told us that he is expecting a three to six month recovery time before I am able to return to work.  THREE TO SIX MONTHS????   I am a single mom of two boys?  How in the world am I going to do this?  I mean, yes we live with Bud, but still I support my boys, I buy groceries, I pay to live there.  Thank god for him and ALL my family!  

I soon started cardiopulmonary rehab, and occupational therapy at Cumberland.  I continued to be on a heart medication to control my heartrate and blood pressure, and prednisone for my throat.  Over the next couple of months, I was in and out of the ER due to difficulty breathing and hyperventilating because I felt like I couldn't breathe.  I had a follow-up appointment with an ENT in the Altoona area (I won't disclose names) and we were VERY disappointed with him.  He didn't wash his hands, and stuck a scope that was just laying on a counter (not sanitized) down my nose and throat.  We were HORRIFIED, and still didn't wash his hands before he left the room.  He said he saw "infection" in my throat again, but didn't swab to check for any bacteria to see what was going on.  At this point, we weren't getting answers.  My family is true believers in Mayo Rochester after my dad when there for his lung issues.  So, we packed an overnight bag, and headed to Rochester to try and be seen in the clinic the next morning.  We woke up, and by the time I got there, I couldn't breathe very good and I would have had to wait all day at the clinic, so the receptionist said that with the hard time I was having I NEEDED TO GO TO THE ER.  So, here we go again.  As soon as I got in there, they heard me breathing down the hallway again and my room (right across the doctors computer) was instantly filled with workers.  2 doctors, rt, nurses, er techs, lab.  They took care of me, more x-rays and CT's, got my steroids upped (again) and I was doing better, but still....nothing figured out as to why this is happening.  

I've been in an ER probably 5 or so times since this all happened on August 11th.  I keep getting treated but the big "WHY" question has remained.